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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · branch · stick · ruler · kick · bass · foot · bark

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bass — the fish
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bass — low music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bark — to shout
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. foot — a measure
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com